Ridgefield doctor charged with fraud

Published 10:36 pm, Thursday, March 20, 2014

RIDGEFIELD -- A doctor of alternative medicine with a practice on Copps Hill is accused of defrauding Medicare and private insurers for nearly three years.

A federal grand jury in Hartford indicted David Lester Johnston, 45, of Ridgefield, this month on 14 counts each of health care fraud and making false statements related to health care matters. He was arrested Tuesday and released on $100,000 bond after pleading not guilty to the charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford.

"Dr. Johnston disputes the allegations and maintains his innocence," his attorney, Brian Spears, said Thursday. "The billing issue is two years old and is in no way related to his competency as a physician or the quality of care provided to his patients."

For more than a decade, Johnston has owned and operated Osteopathic Wellness Center on Danbury Road, a practice that over time has earned the praise of patients who have found relief in the medical discipline based on hands-on manipulation of the body's external tissue, a practice that dates back to the mid-19th century. Johnston's business became so successful that in 2010, he moved into a larger office suite and took on a partner.

But federal prosecutors say Johnston's indictment that from January 2009 to August 2012, he filed fraudulent claims with Medicare and private insurers seeking compensation for treatment he never actually provided.

The indictment does not specify the amount of money involved, though it alleges 14 instances of fraud.

Johnston faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the health care fraud counts and up to five years and a fine of $250,000 on the counts of making false statement, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.